Random Dining in Miami (11/20/11 Update - Burgie Awards)

Random Dining in Miami (11/20/11 Update - Burgie Awards)

)I'm sharing several small reports together in this thread, and will add more in the future. The only thing they mostly have in common is that the are in the greater Miami area, i.e. Miami-Dade county.

HARVEY'S SMOKEHOUSE BBQ

Harvey's is a small place in a new strip shopping center in Cutler Bay on Old Cutler Road. Although it looks nothing like a traditional rural Southern BBQ joint, they put out a pretty good product with what I believe is a gas fired pit that uses pellets or sawdust to infuse a smokey flavor, plus a char-grill for finishing some items.

The interior is pretty stark, with a small number of tables for dining-in. Most of their business is take-out.

I've had many things on the menu, and liked all of them, although the brisket was not what I expected, in that it is chopped, rather than sliced. It was well-flavored though, and is great for a sandwich. I got the lunch special one day, a pulled-pork "Cuban" sandwich. It substituted BBQ pulled-pork for the traditional mojo-scented roast pork, and was on a nice roll instead of a length of Cuban bread. It was great! With fries and some house-made slaw, it was only $5.99. The slaw was unusual in that it included what I think was carraway. Included was the customer's choice of BBQ sauce, but I loved the sandwich by itself. Now that I think of it, I should have chosen the mustard-based BBQ sauce, which would have approximated the mustard on a traditional Cuban.

Pulled-Pork Cuban Sandwich

I did remember to take a photo of a half-rack of ribs the other week. It is plated up here at my house, and my wife had already spread some BBQ sauce on them (they don't come that way). These were tender, smokey and flavorful. Recommended!